NYCC ’11 – We Shot So Many Damn Robots

…and they just kept coming.

Somewhere between the cat carrier and the baby carry-on item that Josh Glavine called "a big burden" was our demo for Demiurge's upcoming digital release, Shoot Many Robots. Mike White and I had a chance to tear through a single level of the game's campaign with the guiding hand and heckling mouth of Mr. Glavine, Senior Designer at Demiurge.

Here's what we know: Shoot Many Robots is the indie, campy, side-scrolling shooter featuring an RV living, redneck, robot apocalypse survivor. The world has met its doom and it's up to players to, we're assuming, have a run at those robot bastards responsible for murdering the protagonist's cat…Fluffy.

If you're looking for a game to stand as a foothold in the cliff face of comparison, Shoot Many Robots breathes an air of Metal Slug. It feels like an old-school shooter from yesteryear, and we write that with an emphasis on the positive nature of the genre.

There's an ever-present feeling of supreme humor throughout the product as well. It sees as if Demiurge decided to take their game and push it out in as many silly directions as possible. They've done that, and they've done it in a way that rewards players for paying attention to every subtle joke, nod and reference. Whether that's loving the aforementioned Baby Bjorn add-on or removing your characters pants, there's a lot to love and get goofy over here.

As the hordes of varied robots swarm you from all angles throughout the course of each level, you're tasked with destruction and survival. The destruction is easy and constant, but survival can be a bitch. Now, look, we won't stand here and try to tell you folks that we're particularly gifted in the arena of classic gaming. We're okay. We were better when we were six and able to slave away in front of our tube TVs for 10 hours gaming stints every day. Now? We're just okay.

Shoot Many Robots, to us, feels like it will be difficult. Glavine told us that the game's testers can normally complete a run on the standard difficulty in something like 6.5 hours. We expect our pace to be significantly slower, so one run through will probably stand at a great length in today's downloadable games market. We're always fans of well-valued products, so this news is huge for us.

Speaking of value, Shoot Many Robots also stands a chance at being a completionist's dream purchase. There are 50 levels to gain while collecting a ton of weapons, costume pieces and upgrades. You'll be able to revisit areas over and over in order to perfect them to your heart's content. When all of that is said and done with, Glavine told us that the Demiurge team hopes to pad the game with extra content after launch.

This Ubisoft published title will release at the onset of 2012 for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC platforms.